Photograph
by Kitty XIII
Summary: A collection of vignettes gathered from FFVII, each one explaining what might have been going through the characters' minds as they marched forth, braving the unknown for another uncertain future.
1. I Secret Strength

Kadaj raised his head. He was so tired. He hurt, inside and out. He could see it in his blonde counterpart, his older brother—Cloud was tired, too. But, truly, Kadaj had wondered, ever since Sephiroth brought it up during their fight. Where did Cloud find the strength to move forward? How was it that they, both of them born of the same mother, Kadaj himself bolstered with the full force of a past horror reborn—how was it that Cloud could overcome such incredible odds, and not only pass, but win?

Whatever Cloud's secret strength was, it wasn't anger or sadness or even Mother herself—Kadaj had already tapped those dry, and still Cloud had emerged victorious. And deep inside, Kadaj had known that Cloud would win, too, for his strength ran from a tainted source with a toxin that would build and build inside of him, a silent serpent rearing inside, until, at last, it would kill him to use it. Cloud's strength—was pure. Incorrigible. Stainless, eternally everlasting.

Why? Kadaj felt like crying. But he had to set a good example. He couldn't afford to cry—for Loz and Yazoo. They couldn't see him break down, because Mother was still unhappy. Her voice remained silent, her emotion impassive, even now, after all of his suffering and sacrifice. And then Kadaj remembered what Shinra-brother had done. Mother was gone for good because of that act, that bizarrely selfless sacrifice from Rufus Shinra—the one man that Kadaj was sure had truly given up all morals in pursuit of glory and ultimate power. The man without a heart had suddenly learned to love, and in that brief moment, had ruined everything.

Kadaj's face twisted. It wasn't fair. Cloud and Tifa and Marlene and Denzel, and all of their steadfast allies; Rufus and Reno and Rude, and the other two whom he had tortured half to death, but still would not speak—where did they get it? How did they find the capacity to move forward in life with such determination, as much as they were scarred and crippled and hurting inside?

Kadaj screamed and ran forward, blinded by pain and fatigue. Cloud still somehow remained in his 'ready' stance, calm and prepared for Kadaj's charge. It was too much—Kadaj swung his double-bladed katana with the last of his energy, flailing more than slashing at Cloud.

Sephiroth's careless treatment of his body suddenly took effect, and Kadaj's breath was stifled by pain. Kadaj helplessly collapsed, his sword dragging listlessly behind him. He felt himself falling—and then an arm, gentle but steady, caught him. Kadaj gazed up at his savior—and of course. Cloud.

The feeling ebbed from him as he lay there, little by little, starting with his fingers and feet and creeping up into his arms and legs. It was a blissful oblivion, a warm nothingness that eclipsed the pain and the worry and the horrible feeling that he might have let Mother down. It felt…good to let go.

But Yazoo and Loz. He had to stay for them. They would be lost without him. Letting go would mean forsaking and abandoning his precious brothers-in-arms. Kadaj struggled to keep his eyes open, to make his limbs obey…but the melodious call of the Lifestream beckoned more strongly than reality, and he could only watch bitterly as the world spun away…

"_It's okay. You can let go now, if you want."_

Her voice…so kind. So gentle. So tender.

"Mother?" he murmured, his gaze focusing above.

Her hand extended towards him, she smiled. Brown hair, loving face, and eyes green enough to bring the life and love of the whole Lifestream full circle. Sephiroth was wrong. This woman had already conquered the foul corruption of Geostigma with love. Geostigma—and Kadaj was surprised to feel shame in bringing it to the planet—would never be a part of the Lifestream. As if she knew it all and forgave him for all his deeds, the woman smiled. _Ready to go?_

Kadaj smiled back. He hoped she didn't mind that he was so weak. She didn't seem strong enough to lift him up…but he reached out to her anyway. He wanted so badly to be a part of that beautiful celestial collage of voices and faces and smiles. Kadaj could feel Cloud's unbelieving gaze on him as he lifted his arm to the sky—and in that moment, Kadaj was astonished as he realized that he was using that strange strength. The power that lifted his arm to the heavens stemmed not from him, nor from Mother, but somewhere else, somewhere safer. Somewhere so full of love and acceptance that it spilled over and it cleansed Kadaj, making him sweet again.

Kadaj smiled again, finally free. He knew where they had gotten their strength.

…_And Kadaj wasn't sure in his last moments whether the drops trickling down his face were the blessings of the sky or tears from his own eyes, at last._


	2. II Hero?

A less interesting one than the first, I'll admit, but the thought kept niggling at me...

What really goes on in Rufus Shinra's head?

Enjoy.

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Hero

Rufus gazed quietly out the window, an illness-wracked Pontius Pilate helpless to move as the world whisked by. _How long?_ How long had it been since the Geostigma, heaven's curse, had struck him down, leaving him all but crippled by the sudden seizures of pain, the sensitivity to light, and that malignant black shadow creeping along his skin like a strangler vine slowly inching up a birchbark tree…?

Abruptly Rufus tired of the scene just outside his window and his mind focused inward, paying the world no mind. _The cruelest thing about the Geostigma, _Rufus considered absentmindedly as he traced the pattern of one lacy black coil on his hand, _is that it leaves your mind fully intact as it takes you apart, piece by painful piece. _The cells in your body degenerate at a rapid speed, tripping over themselves in their hurried race to the grave, but your mind—the infinitely impressionable _tabula rasa,_ the last sanctuary—still functions as brilliantly as before, magnificently ignorant of the sickness running rampant through its mortal shell.

_It's as if the mind considers itself too elevated, too high and mighty for any mere disease to bring it crashing down,_ Rufus mused, his lips twisting into a wry smile as he saw a mockery of his own broken reflection in his words. "_Lo and behold the great Rufus Shinra now, ye mighty, and despair."_

Pain suddenly twisted in the arm tracing the Geostigma's ravages, and Rufus froze as fear crept up his back like a physical chill. _No. Not again. _He could feel his heart racing already, anticipating the next wave that would inevitably strike three seconds later. Even when his mind knew it would happen, still his heart hoped, blindly trusting that maybe, maybe just this once—

Agony lanced up his tensed left arm as if a white-hot steel dagger had been plunged into his elbow; the world went blank. As always, a cry of pain threatened to escape his clenched teeth—and as always, he forced it back down, refusing to submit to Geostigma's ruthless hand. Rufus would almost have said—if only it were possible—that the pain had become worse. He closed his eyes, breathing shallowly, trying to move as little as possible.

Behind the darkness of closed eyes, Rufus could almost imagine Sephiroth's contemptuous smirk, Kadaj's cruel sneer—and, surprisingly, it bolstered his fortitude. _I may have fallen far, but I'll not grovel to __**you**__, damnit. It will take more than just that to break me, One-Winged Angel._

Slowly—and almost sulkily—the pain began to ebb away. It receded from his fingers first, then from his wrist, and finally consumed itself, sinking deeper, as if burrowing back into his bone to lie in wait for another strike.

Rufus released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and felt his body relax. That was the fifth attack today—and the first time the Stigma's bouts had recurred more than four times in twenty-four hours. He sighed. With Sephiroth and his tributaries—_what were their names? Kadaj, Loz, and…Yazoo?—_so close, it was no wonder that the Geostigma progressed more rapidly. Now it was just a matter of time before the disease took its full due.

_Well_, Rufus amended amusedly, _it depends on time and how far Cloud is willing to go._

_And how do you solve a problem like Cloud Strife?_ Rufus's mouth twitched as he considered his previous thought. That fickle fool Cloud Strife, who would not be manipulated, nor bullied, nor bribed—how did you control such a volatile tool, especially when your own fate rested entirely on his choices?

_Too late now, I suppose,_ Rufus mused. _The dominoes are raining down; I've made my deals with the devil and paid my price for them. If Cloud should fail, then this world will have more problems than just my death._

…_In fact, the world would probably celebrate my death,_ Rufus thought, a rueful smile forming on his lips. They'd never learn from their mistakes.

"Not that I'm really one to talk," Rufus murmured softly, turning his head to the window again, almost unwillingly. No matter how many times he looked away from the world in which he had no part, telling himself to give up hope; no matter how many times the Stigma left him, sapped of energy and weaker than ever; no matter how many times he had contemplated the easy way out, ready to end it all—he always ended up gazing outside again, dreaming of a world beyond the glass, one that had a bright and beautiful future that had room for charity and peace.

Even if he had no place in it.

_I will have built a better, more loving world…to die in._

"…Rufus…"

Elena's hesitant voice broke his mindless transfixion with the window, and he turned, only vaguely surprised that he hadn't heard her enter the room. With the Geostigma raging through his physical body, Rufus had slowly begun retreating to his mind…and now, at times like this, he was completely oblivious to the world.

Elena stood by the door, looking patient but puzzled. A bandage clung to a gash on her cheek, and her slightly stooped shoulders belied her real weariness. She and Tseng had arrived just in time to save him from falling to his death, but now they were having understandable difficulty adjusting to his new, daydreaming, distracted persona.

"Rufus…" Elena's voice was mellower. Rufus felt sicker. She'd almost been tortured to death on his account, and here she stood, tall and almost…_proud_ to be a Turk. It would almost have been better if she had been bitter, or angry or…

And then Rufus smiled at his own thought. _I think…I understand now, Cloud. Sometimes it hurts to accept forgiveness…even more than accepting hate or retribution. _

"…Rufus," Elena spoke again, her voice amazed. "I…think you should see this."

They left the building—_my refuge, my prison,, my…home?—_through the main exit and stepped out from under the cocoon separating earth from sky. Children were playing in the street as always, their sneakers splashing in the water collected between the stones of the unevenly paved street. Romantics wandered the twisting paths of the Edge, their faces all turned reverently to the sky. All seemed well…and extraordinarily ordinary. _Then why did Elena sound so awed?_

Rufus blinked as a raindrop fell on his hand. _It's raining? _He looked to the sky.

Rain. Nothing but the rain and the soft, gray, celestial sheep from whence it came. Beautiful, yes, but…awe-inspiring? Not so much.

"I…don't think I'm seeing whatever 'this' is, Elena," he replied, feeling slightly left out of some joke.

Reno chuckled in the background, but it had an uncharacteristic lack of derision. "No, not the sky, Prez. Look at yourself, Rufus."

Rufus turned to glare disapprovingly at the Turk when he realized that the motion felt less painful that it should have been. Lighter. Freer. Almost as if…

No. It…can't be.

He looked down just in time to see another bruise-like black eddy of Geostigma depart from his wrist, curling up and reaching joyfully to the sky in an ephemeral ribbon of light green…

…and leaving his skin perfectly clean, purified of the sickly black swirls of Geostigma that had latticed his entire body only moments before

Rufus was almost too shocked to comprehend the enormity of the revelation.

_The rain… It…heals the Geostigma? _

_~Yes it does, Rufus Shinra, O ye of little faith~_ responded an amused, lilting, familiar voice. An inexplicable warmth pervaded the air before moving on, leaving a steady tide of omnipresent peace and love and mercy in its wake.

Rufus almost smiled as the rain continued pattering down, touching everything with gentle fingers, cleansing and pure. He had long since considered all the possibilities for his recovery—and had found each successive possibility less probable than the one preceding. But now, of all times, after he'd finally realized his mortality and was prepared to welcome death as a brother…only now did the Lifestream bless the earth, whispering healing and peace to the suffering, stricken world.

No, not just the Lifestream. Rufus amended, remembering the green-eyed Ancient whose heart had been so filled with love that it could not be destroyed, only absorbed into the belt of life-sustaining energy around the entire world. **Aerith** of the Lifestream.

Rufus looked to the sky, with its many shades of gray. They'd always said that heroes wore white. The heaven-blessed, after all, should wear the most virgin of colors, to represent the systematic purging of the unclean and the light of new birth. Always snubbing human perceptions, Rufus Shinra, the ultimate villain, had chosen none other than white as his banner color. _The people want a hero? They want to see a shining savior in white? I'll give them a fallen angel, swathed in the brilliance of a thousand dying stars, donned from head to toe in white, white, and more white—and maybe they'll learn their lesson._

But, unsurprisingly, none of the people had caught on. For all the spying within the company and hawk-eyed scrutinizing of Shinra Electric Company, the people never noticed the warning standing in their midst. _I am Lukifer. Fear me, for I am he who would rather reign in Hell than serve in Heaven._

And even now, far removed from the stupid, persecuting public eye, he still chose to wear white—but this time, for a different reason.

White for penance, white for…forgiveness…

Rufus closed his eyes, smiling. Less than a month ago, he would have ridiculed himself for thinking so sentimentally. But circumstances had changed, selfishly forcing him to be human, to recognize his own faults and strengths alike and accept them as simply a part of life.

_I wonder…is this what it feels like…to be a hero for once?_

And though Rufus would never admit it, it felt…good.

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Thanks for your patience. :) Reviews make my muse's world go round.


	3. III Price

Just a little knot in the story of Advent Children that always bothered me for a while. When Kadaj is sitting on his bike, talking on his cell, watching Loz and Yazoo chase Cloud down, who was on the other end of the line? And what were Kadaj and that other guy talking about? And why did Loz and Yazoo suddenly stop hunting Cloud at the very last second?

Here's my explanation. ;)

Love, love, love! Enjoy!

* * *

_Price_

Kadaj smiled as he watched Loz and Yazoo dart away on their bikes. With the numerous shadow-fiends and their equipment, his brothers would have no problem batting Big Brother around a bit.

Or at least enough so that the _other one_ would cooperate.

Kadaj pulled out the cell phone and opened it. He puzzled over the screen momentarily—_that was weird, the background was a picture of that other prisoner. Oh well_—and accessed the contact list.

_Wow, she really has no friends,_ Kadaj thought, an eyebrow arching. _Four contacts total. How nice._

Kadaj picked the first contact he saw, a number labeled "Idiot-moron." Kadaj's eyebrow rose even higher as he briefly doubted the phone's legitimacy.

"Their loss if they don't pick up," Kadaj muttered, pressing "Send."

The other end picked up almost instantly_. "You little motherf—"_

Kadaj tuned out the stream of abuse as he watched Big Brother race onwards, pursued closely by Yazoo, Loz, and their shadow-fiends. Big Brother was putting up a tough fight, but the stigma, the glorious stigma was crippling him. Kadaj smiled. _Good. They're getting him cornered._

"…_No—no, shaddup, Rude, I'm not done yet—no, I will NOT CALM DOWN!—and we don't have your stupid freaking Mother!"_ finished the hotheaded bearer of the other phone.

"Don't tell me that," Kadaj spat hatefully. He _hated_ liars.

"_What? Can't bear the truth?"_ the other man jeered. _"Well, lemme tell you something, you little piece of—"_

"Because you're leading me on!" Kadaj cut in. He didn't want to hear that answer…or the end of that last sentence, for that matter. "You do have Mother there."

"_And how the hell do you know that, my little friend?"_ the other asked sarcastically. _"For all you know, you left your precious Mother in the cave while you were busy trying to intercept us."_ His voice was starting to build to a furious roar again. _"All I know is that we don't have your retarded Mother—whatever the hell she might be—and you can go on ahead and f—"_

Kadaj could understand why his name had been 'Idiot-moron' now.

"No need to shout!" Kadaj interrupted lazily. This fool obviously didn't know what he was talking about. As another stream of profanities spilled forth, Kadaj rolled his eyes. "I don't really wanna talk to you anymore. Put the President on."

"_And why would I do that?"_ he snapped. _"Why would I possibly do that for you, huh? You little weasel, you think I'd really just hand the phone over to—"_

"…Reno."

The reprimand on the other end of the line had been soft-spoken and faint…but it silenced the raucous voice instantly. Kadaj's smile widened. _Just who I was looking for._

"_But…"_ 'Idiot-moron' hadn't relinquished the phone yet, but he sounded subdued. _"But—but sir…"_

"_Reno."_ This time the imperious command was evident.

_"…Yessir."_

Kadaj heard the rustling of fabric as the phone exchanged hands.

_"Hello…Kadaj."_

The new speaker sounded calmly amused, but Kadaj felt excitement bubbling up. Finally—finally he'd caught the one who knew where Mother was! Finally he'd be able to find Mother, bring her back, and fulfill that wonderful dream—

Kadaj glanced over at the chase before him. Yazoo and Loz were almost done corralling Big Brother. _Perfect timing._

"Hello, Mr. _President_," Kadaj greeted, scorn in his tone. "Or should I say murderer? Or defiler of the world?"

_"You give me too much credit, Kadaj."_

Kadaj laughed freely. Just the reply he'd expect from an arrogant man like Rufus Shinra.

"Yes, well, Mr. President, behind all that ego, you're still a business man, I'm sure," Kadaj said dismissively, waving his hand. "So you'll understand when I tell you about a business proposition that you just can't afford to turn down."

"_Really."_ Kadaj gritted his teeth. It was surprising how annoying one man could be with a simple inflection and one word.

"Yes, actually, I do," Kadaj slowly grinned, looking over the chase going on before him. Big Brother was already starting to slow. The Geostigma was catching up to him. "I hear you're friends with Big Brother."

Kadaj basked in the silence on the other end of the line. Kadaj could practically imagine Shinra's mind racing, putting together the clues that he'd left behind. Kadaj's smiled widened. He treasured his brothers as family, for sure—but sometimes it was nice to work with someone clever enough to figure out something on his own.

"…_Yes. I believe I am acquainted with the man you know as 'Big Brother.' Although perhaps 'friend' is a rather generous term, considering my past affiliations with him."_ Kadaj frowned a little. Hopefully Shinra knew Big Brother well enough to value his life, or this wasn't going to work.

"Well, let's just say that I happen to have Big Brother in front of me right now, about to be executed by my other brothers," Kadaj proposed as he watched the chase wind down, trying to keep the glee from his voice. It would be unseemly to gloat _too_ much. "And let's just say that I am willing to trade his life for a…little information."

The silence on the other end of the line was so long that Kadaj almost thought Shinra had hung up.

Finally: _"…And that information would be…?"_

Kadaj grinned. There really was no type of satisfaction as nice as getting the best of an enemy. "Your location, dearest President."

"_Done. I'm located up in the mountainous regions just outside of the Edge, lodged in one of the temporary residences up there. Number 1601."_

Kadaj was taken aback. The reply had been almost on the spot, as if Shinra had been in a hurry to give up his location. There was a flurry of muffled conversation and scuffling in the background on the other end of the line, but other than that…there didn't seem to be any signs of recanting his decision.

"Can I ask why that answer came so quickly, Mr. President?" Kadaj asked, almost forgetting to adopt a jeering tone in his shock. "You got a death wish or something?"

There was a low, amused chuckled from the other end of the line. _"…Something like a death wish, Kadaj. Something like that."_

Kadaj pondered that answer for a moment before deciding wasn't worth his time. "Alrighty, then, Mr. President. It's been nice doing business with you." Kadaj told his brother to relent through their empathy link and prepared to hang up as Loz and Yazoo almost instantly came racing back.

_"Actually…I had a question of my own, Kadaj…if you'd be so kind as to entertain it."_

Kadaj recovered quickly from his surprise and smiled playfully. Why wouldn't he? "What kind of question would that be, Mr. President?"

Shinra seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. _"If I might inquire after the condition…of my two missing Turks…Elena…and Tseng?"_

Kadaj's grin turned feral. "Let's just say it would have been better if they'd told us where you were immediately." He irreverently held up their blood-smeared identification cards up to the sunlight between his fingers. "But never fear, Mr. President. You'll find out soon enough."

And then Kadaj hung up. Loz and Yazoo pulled up along either side of him, both of them grinning like loons.

"So how'd it go?" Loz asked.

"Perfectly, Loz. Perfectly," Kadaj replied with a vicious grin. He revved his own motorcycle. "Let's go, brothers. We have to see Shinra-brother now."

And all three of them raced off of the edge of the cliff, towards Mother and paradise - or perdition.

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A/N: Thanks again for reading guys. Hope you enjoyed it.

You're the best! :*

3 3 3 Kitty

P.S. Review, please? :D They physically facilitate by typing speed :D (review = faster update)

Thanks again!


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